Really Useful Conversations

Really Useful Conversations

We are working with some great catalytic organisations. And often that means getting involved with their challenges such as:

helping each other solve complex problems

improving teamwork and delegation

encouraging a strong sense of ownership

ensuring that each person’s full range of strengths and experience are being drawn upon

and

becoming better at addressing performance problems

One of the deceptively simple ways to tackle all these is to find ways to have “really useful conversations”.

This was the context for the top team at Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT). Its 70 staff are passionate about protecting and enhancing the wildlife of this beautiful county, much of which is under threat from the prevailing winds of development and technology.

Simon Cripps, the CEO, asked us to share a range of listening, coaching and feedback skills that would enable “really useful conversations” in the Trust.

The workshop we provided was an opportunity for the top team to practice and apply some of the foundational skills from the coaching toolbox – using listening and awareness in ways that helped each other to think deeply, fully and powerfully. We also shared a solutions-focused approach that transforms negative situations to positive possibilities. And together worked on developing habits of recognition and genuine appreciation with colleagues to build strong, confident, trusting environments.

This stands in stark contrast to the standard management or consulting approach, where it is assumed that the manager or consultant is the one who knows – the challenge being to transfer this knowledge. By contrast, coaching helps people to become more effective by thinking clearly for themselves (albeit with the occasional insightful, stretching question), with them in the driving seat for designing better ways forward.

CEO Simon said

“Today has been a real eye-opener, even for the more seasoned campaigners among us. We now have a new set of skills that will help people work even better together across the organisation, bring the Trust more influence and enable us to have more fun. Thanks – 10 out of 10?.

If you think this sort of event or conversation could help your organisation, call us on +44 (0) 0208 123 0121 or send us a message.

By admin|
2012-03-16T19:38:51+00:00 March 16th, 2012|News and events|Comments Off on Really Useful Conversations